Loitering with Intent

57

STONE AND DINO looked up to see Evan and the car coming. He stopped, and they got inside, Stone behind the wheel.

“How’d it go?” he asked.

“Perfectly,” Evan replied. “He searched me and the briefcase for a wire, but he didn’t find anything. While I was there he got a call from his hit man, and we’re on for tonight.”

“Hey, that’s quick service!” Dino said.

“I told him to use the boat, as we’d planned.”

Stone got on the phone to Tommy Sculley. “Hey, Tommy, we’re on for tonight.”

“Tonight? I’d better get my ass in gear. I’ve alerted the county sheriff, and they’re standing by. I guess I’d better seaplane it up there and land on the waterway. It’s the fastest way to Mike’s place from Key West.”

Evan spoke up. “Put it on speaker.”

Stone did.

“Tommy,” Evan said, “I told him Mike has a drink on his back porch at sunset every night, so you need to be there while it’s still broad daylight.”

“Okay, I’ll alert everybody.”

“Something else: I’m going to meet Manny White at a place in South Beach called the Steak Shack, at seven-thirty. He’s to get a call there when the job is done, and I’ll give him the rest of the money. The bartender and the waitress are supposed to be my alibi.”

“You done good, kid,” Tommy said. “The sheriff’s guys will bust the hit man when he brings the boat back to the marina, and the state cops can bust Manny as soon as the money changes hands.”

“Tommy,” Stone said, “for God’s sake tell the state cops to be careful. This is apparently a restaurant where Manny is well known, and we don’t want to spook him by having cops at half the tables. Have them look in from outside, or Evan can phone them when it’s done. They can bust Manny on his way out of the place.”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Tommy said. “Where are you two guys gonna be?”

Stone looked at Dino. “What’s your preference?”

“We’re here, let’s stay here,” Dino said. “We can go in with the state cops after the money changes hands. Anyway, I’d like to see the look on Manny’s face.”

“Me too,” Stone said. “You get that, Tommy?”

“I got it. Just don’t let Manny spot you, or he’ll walk out.”

“Evan recorded their whole conversation,” Stone said, “so we’ll have him, anyway.”

“Wait a minute,” Evan said, “I just thought of something.”

“What?”

“I didn’t get everything recorded.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m afraid I got a little too clever. I wrote down part of it on a pad, the part where I tell him I want the guy killed, and showed it to him instead of speaking.”

Stone groaned. “You get that, Tommy?”

“Yeah, I got it. Evan, you’ve got to get it all recorded tonight when you meet Manny. Don’t write things down this time, okay?”

“Okay, Tommy,” Evan said. “I’m sorry.”

“Just do a good job tonight, and we’ll bag everybody.”

“I swear I will,” Evan said.

Suddenly, Dino yelled, “Everybody duck!”

Everybody ducked.

“What’s this about, Dino?” Stone asked.

“It’s Manny, he just drove past us.”

“Did he see us?”

“I don’t think so, but man, was that close. He’s way up the street now, so you can sit up.”

Everybody sat up.

“I heard that,” Tommy said. “Did you guys just blow this whole deal?”

“I think we’re okay, Tommy,” Dino said. “He didn’t see us.”

MANNY WHITE DROVE down Collins Avenue and onto the mainland, toward Florida City. An hour later he pulled up at a diner, near where the Florida Turnpike started, and went inside. Larry Lee and Gigi Jones were at a corner booth. Manny slid in beside them and laid his briefcase on the table. A waitress approached. “What can I get you?”

“A Diet Coke,” Manny said.

“Same here,” Larry said.

“Iced tea,” Gigi said.

The woman left, and Manny opened his briefcase and took out the map Joe had given him. “This is gonna be easy,” he said. He showed them the marina and told them about the boat, then gave them every detail he could remember about the cottage and the dock. “The guy has a drink on his back porch every evening at sundown,” he said. “That’s your time to hit him. Just get the boat near the dock in decent light. There’s a sign on the dock with his initials, M.L.”

“Is the guy going to be armed?” Larry asked.

“He keeps a shotgun locked up, so he can’t get at it in a hurry,”

Manny replied. “If you can use your rifle from the end of the dock, that’s best.”

“Why can’t we approach from the landward side?” Gigi said.

“Too many neighbors to see you come and go.”

“What about people at the marina where the Whaler is?”

“It’s private and unmanned. You can sit in the car and see whether anybody is around.”

“This all sounds good,” Larry said. “It just came up today?”

“Yeah, a friend of mine in New York sent the guy, says he’s okay and . . .” He opened the briefcase and gave Larry and Gigi ten thousand dollars each. “He brought gifts,” Manny said. The two tucked their money away.

“You two had better get going before rush hour starts up,” Manny said. “Take the turnpike north; there’ll be less traffic than on I-95, and no trucks. I’ll get the check.”

“You’re a prince, Manny,” Gigi said.

“What are you going to do about the car?” Manny said. Gigi spoke up. “I’ll drop Larry off at his house in Jupiter and return the car to Key Largo tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll head back to Key West. I’ll let you know when Evan gets back from Connecticut, and we’ll get him taken care of.”

“I don’t want to go to Key West again, if I can help it,” Larry said.

“I’ve missed twice there; it’s bad luck.”

“I’ll see if I can get him to Miami,” Gigi said. “You’ll have a very nice payday when we get that done.”

The three split up and went their separate ways.